Simply Italian in Rother

Simply Italian is very aptly named. The food is delicious & affordable. The carafes of wine are a lovely touch. We had lobster 🦞 ravioli and goats cheese pizza.

Disappointing main course, carbonara was very bland even with spoonfuls of parmesan on top. However they did remove it from the bill and gave us a couple of free drinks. Service and the rest of the food was good.

hello x I came today to the restaurant today after along time not to celebrate mothers day .I was very pleasantly surprised to be greeted so warmly. The food was amazing and just had the best time x so as a local ill be in more often xx thanks to Jordon and the team to making our visit so special x Danielle

Today i came to celebrate mothers day although i was a tad unsure due to previous visits sometime ago. I was very pleasantly surprised to the standard of the establishment, the food was a amazing and the service was a wonderful May i add Jordon the manager and the team made our time at the restaurant a pure delight !!! and myself and my family will be visiting more often being local to Rye x x thankyou

Six of us went this afternoon,brilliant from start to finish,staff were friendly and attentive,great pizza.

This is one of our favourite Italian restaurants.

Visited with my husband recently. Busy Saturday evening and we booked earlier in the day - arrived to a lovely welcome. Clearly a popular place with locals and it was packed out, which is always good to see. We ordered the green Sicilian olives as a nibble, followed by calamari for me (huge portion) and a small portion of meatball pasta for my husband (they offer any pasta dish in starter size) - his was actually quite big and would have done as a main in a lot of places, so the actual main course portion must be huge! He then had a meat pizza (delicious) and I ordered from the specials the spaghetti con vongole. Mine was just a bit underwhelming sadly, and had lots of small broken clam shells in it so I couldn’t eat it all. Also just a little bit tasteless sadly. And yes I should have sent it back but to be honest they were so busy and so lovely that I didn’t bother, and I was quite full anyway from the starter and what I had managed to eat of the spaghetti (which was most of it as the shell fragments were at the bottom). I would definitely visit again but probably not order what I had - my husband was very happy with his choices, and this is a clearly a popular place. For just over £70 including alcohol, this is a fantastic value.

Great pizza restaurant with fantastic staff. Staff are always friendly and helpful and add to the wonderful atmosphere . Great food and it’s extremely good value . Would highly recommend to anyone .

Amazing restaurant! Me and my family come here every Friday and we love it every time! Jordan and Theresa do an amazing job as do all the other staff and the chefs are fantastic! Thank you all so much!!

Ambience and service was quite good. People are welcoming and friendly. Though food wasn't as delicious as I expected. I had order margarita pizza which was tasty but a bit of olive oil would have been nice. And penny pasta pretty dry and bland, lacked sauce.

Food was ok, attempt for simple food done well, but this also meant not blown away. Service was average as well, and place is looking a little tatty now. Used to love coming here but won't rush back

I am staying with friends in Rye & go home tomorrow so we went for a meal on my last night, it was fantastic, we were greeted warmly by the friendly Jordan who made you feel you had known him forever, we arrived early for our booking but Jordan said that was fine, the restaurant was warm, friendly, clean & the service was first class, the waiter was lovely & responded promptly to our questions, the food was hot, amazing & good size portions, we didn’t have to wait too long for our starter or between courses but by the same token long to savour the moment & not feel rushed, I had the lasagne & it was delicious, as I said I am visiting but next time I am in Rye I hope to come again (& again), I would definitely recommend to family, friends & anyone who asks, on the way out Jordan was so friendly (such a love young man) all of the staff were brilliant & the whole experience was great, thank you xx

This place is a little gem ! Went out for my 40th birthday dinner and we were so impressed. The service and atmosphere was excellent and the food was some of the best we’ve had out. The seafood risotto was fresh and tasty and the veal my husband had was amazing. I had to try the tiramisu and that didn’t disappoint it was one of the best I’ve had. We were really pleased we found this place and would definitely recommend.

Food was great I go often for a pizza

Really nice Italian restaurant, would recommend booking. Polite friendly staff. Lovely food

We booked for 19 of us quite late and the restaurant was very accommodating. It's not easy for smaller establishments to get 19 meals out at the same time, especially for large unplanned groups. The food was lovely and our waitress was really good, attentive and helpful. They even helped us with taxis. Definitely recommend a visit if you are in the area.

Oh dear! What have you done Simly Italian?? Terrible food, run down interior, menus lamination peeling apart! £53 wasted....we won't be back. This 'was' our favourite restaurant....not anymore. Shame.

....Marc, it's such a shame you didn't fact check before your reply! 1. I did comment to your female staff about the 'changes'. She went on about the previous manager who was sacked because of his treatment to staff members. 2. My wife didn't eat all her bruschetta as it had no flavour. Exactly what tomatoes do you use? Meant to be either plum or cherry tomatoes. Disgusting! 3. We've eaten so, so many times in your establishment that do we have to post a review after each occasion to brush your ego? 4. To add to the insult, we actually spent our wedding day meal in your restaurant! 5. No-one from your restaurant gave 'check back', we paid & left with on-one actually saying goodbye. I, along with a few others I've seen here say the same. I would suggest getting out of the restaurant business if this is how you run/manage a restaurant. This is nothing how Italians run restaurants. You should be ashamed. Schifo!

If you're the sort of person that will be put off by a frayed plastic menu then please look past that as the food and service here was great. We especially enjoyed our pizza and garlic bread along with the homemade desserts. Lovely friendly service too on what was sure to be a busy night too (it was Valentine's day)

A Taste of Italy in the Heart of Rye – Simply Perfect! My girlfriend and I are both passionate about Italian cuisine and love visiting Rye. Over time, we’ve dined at Simply Italian three times, and it has quickly become our favourite restaurant. From the moment you arrive, you’re warmly welcomed by the chefs, along with an inviting display of fresh pizza ingredients. The aroma alone is enough to make your mouth water! The atmosphere is authentically Italian, from the rustic stone walls and wooden beams to vintage metal plate signs, a classic moped, and beautiful paintings of Italian landscapes. Your table is set in the iconic red-and-white Italian café style, and the background music, featuring accordions and violins—transports you straight to the heart of Italy. One of the highlights of our visits has been the personal touch from the general manager (whose name, unfortunately, I don’t know). On our second and third visits, he greeted us warmly with a “nice to see you again,” a small but thoughtful gesture that made us feel truly valued as returning customers. My girlfriend loves Prosecco, and we were pleasantly surprised when we saw the manager instruct the bartender to pour a generous glass, far from the stingy measures we’ve experienced elsewhere. It’s small touches like this that make Simply Italian stand out. Now, let’s talk about the food, because what more can I say? Fresh, flavourful, and beautifully simple. As Gordon Ramsay would put it, simplicity in food is key, and Simply Italian delivers exactly that. I’ve tried the seafood spaghetti, carbonara, lasagna, ham and mushroom pizza, a selection of cheeses with Parma ham, and the mozzarella garlic bread. On my most recent visit, I had the tagliatelle in a white wine and mushroom sauce, which was absolutely divine. The portions are generous, the prices are fair, and every bite is bursting with flavour. Not a single crumb was left on our plates! The service is always warm, attentive, and delivered with a genuine smile. On Valentine’s Day, we were delighted to receive a rose and a Ferrero Rocher at the end of our meal, such a thoughtful gesture that made the occasion even more special. If you haven’t been to Simply Italian in Rye yet, do yourself a favor and visit. Treat yourself and your family to a wonderful day out in this charming town, and make sure to enjoy a delicious meal at Simply Italian. We’ll certainly be returning many more times in the future!

Food is great here but £7.00 for a pint of Birra Moretti is taking the @#£%. Sort it out Simply Italian. You're in Rye, not Covent Garden.

I had a terrible experience at Simply Italian tonight. We were a big party, and not one of us left feeling satisfied. We waited 15 minutes just to be asked for a drink order, which set the tone for the whole evening. We all had different starters, and even something as simple as bruschetta couldn’t be made right everything was bland with no flavor. For the mains, I had the pizza, and it was a huge letdown no cheese, no flavor, and the tomato sauce tasted watered down. The calamari and chips tasted like they’d been fried in dirty oil. Overall, this was one of the worst meals I’ve had, and I won’t be returning.

We were a large table of 14 for my friends hen do. Everyone enjoyed the food and the staff were lovely. We had vegetarian and gluten free diners amongst us and everyone was catered for. Lovely family feel restaurant . I look forward to visiting again soon!

This Italian place is the best I've ever been to, I am very picky when it comes to Italian food, I've omly every been to one other restaurant that serves amazing Italian food, I always get the same thing as a starter, calamari. At the other Italian place it is £19 for the starter, at this italian place it was around £8/9 and omg. It is the exact same as the other Italian place. Absaloutly beautiful. Then the main dish. My mother got carbonara and it was lovely, I had a taste. And I got something I've never tried before. Seafood risotto, it was fantastic however personally I didn't like the flavour but that is just personal preference but when I added parmajan it was lovely. The service was wonderful, the women who serves us was so nice, and let us pack the rest of our food up to take home, the manager was also nice, and the chef was phenomenal to make food so nice. Overall this Italian place is the best and very affordable!

Had a very lovely meal at simply Italian, the food is delicious and the staff are all so hard working. Definitely coming back

We are giving 1 star because we liked the atmosphere and decor of the restaurant and the staff were ok, however the pizza was terrible, a tasteless, flat, carboard disaster. We had better pizzas from the Savers range of any budget supermarket, and are hoping the real chef was either indisposed or on holiday today. We were far too polite to complain during the meal, but we couldn't contain ourselves afterwards. The manager did not apologise at all and we were not offered any discount or a complementary dish. This restaurant is missing a trick...they are in a good location, and the decor is rustic and pleasant...but the chef desperately needs a pizza making course...and from the other reviews on here, we could tell that we were not the only ones to be disappointed.

If I could do it all over again, I'd choose to be Italian and born in Italy -  This place does the 1960s Trattoria thing to perfection in terms of interior decor - and the Food and Service that goes with it doesn't disappoint. Very nice, and very nice Mediterranean murals - :) All good -   

Great place to dine, fabulous food and the staff are friendly, warm, accommodating. Can't wait to go back!

Wonderful food, a great price and wonderful service. Dog friendly was a real plus. Only slight negative is it was cold.

What happened? We’ve been coming here for years since it opened. The service was hopelessly slow, the food was poor with cold pizzas. Part of a big group, so opportunity to complain wasn’t really an option. It’s a pity as my family have always enjoyed particularly my grandchildren.

Brilliant food and dog friendly😁

To be fair they try hard and to their credit they achieve a very good standard.

We stumbled upon this fabulous Italian restaurant and couldn’t be happier! The food was absolutely delicious — authentic, fresh, and full of flavor. The prices were surprisingly reasonable for the quality and portions. A special shoutout to Tony, who provided outstanding service and made our dining experience even more enjoyable. We’ll definitely be back! Highly recommended.

Dropped in for lunch since we know the Simply Italian at Eastbourne and it's the same menu and style. Waitress was very charming and helpful but , dare I say it? , the pizza wasn't as good as Eastbourne, but still very good. My usual is marguerita plus pepperoni, and there was a more generous portion of pepperoni but the pizza was a bit 'wetter' underneath so I had to use a knife and fork. But still, love having fresh pizza out of the oven - you can't beat it.

Had a lovely meal tonight. Thank you so much. Please do visit aa it's a little treasure and good prices.

A brilliant find in Rye. I would highly recommend, Simply Italian with some amazing Italian dishes and standout pizzas. The wine list complements the menu perfectly, and the staff are warm and welcoming. A cosy spot that’s well worth a visit.

We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at this lovely Italian restaurant in Rye. Food was excellent. Staff were really friendly. The restaurant is dog friendly as well. They loved our little dog and even brought some ham out for him as well! We would definitely visit here again. Thank you for a really enjoyable evening.

Amazing food! And like most Italian restaurants I’ve been to prices are amazing for the food which tasted gorgeous and Jordan was a perfect host

Really tasty and cosy italian restaurant in Rye. Friendly and accomodating staff, cheap prices for good quality! really tasty meals and pasta! Definetly recommend for a cosy meal in a "familia" atmosphere! Feel like home!!

Rye Bonfire Night and the restaurant was completely full! Our reservation was quickly found and our orders taken in pretty good time. We’ve been here a few times and always enjoyed the food; tonight was no exception. The antipasto platter at £15.50 was plenty for the four of us; the main courses were all delicious and averaged about £16. Draught Italian beer was good and a bottle of rosé blush went down well too and was very fair value at £23. Service was friendly and efficient and overall we had a very enjoyable evening. A great performance on a very busy night!

Jordan and Zoe was amazing!! Food was incredible!! Very reasonable prices too! Couldn’t be better, next time I’m visiting rye I will be returning! Thank you for an awesome dinner

Can't recommend this restaurant enough the service food and on our visit was first class can definitely recommend the home made tiramisu.

Very pleased to recommend this lovely, traditional Italian restaurant. Wonderful, friendly atmosphere, great decor and the food is excellent and reasonably priced. Customer service is very good and I am looking forward to my next visit.

As regular vistors to Rye we have been to Simply Italian a few times and it never disappoints. Good value, decent tasty portions and always some good specials. Great for kids too. Staff make you feel welcome and will always try and squeeze you in if it's full. (I wish the yummy tiramisu portions were a bit bigger though!)

Such a friendly restaurant with excellent food. Would happily return to try more of the menu.

amazing food , staff and manager ,was so lovely and always made sure everything was okay i’ve been quite a lot as the restaurant is so lovely and will definitely be going again soon !

Nice trattoria, very friendly service. Good food!

I would love to have given this 4 or 5 as the staff did try their best, but it just wasn’t up to scratch. That may be my mistake for going during the school holidays but I did expect a bit better. We took the precaution of booking to ensure they had space. That all went ok. Took a while for the staff to take our drinks order, but they got it right at the first attempt. We then gave our food order. Unfortunately only the mixed seafood starter arrived as they had forgotten the garlic bread, which arrived 10 minutes later but only after they were reminded. They then came back to ask again what our main order was as it seemed to have gone astray. Our request for a top up of water was acknowledged but again never arrived. The gap between courses was far too long, even if it was busy. It’s a real shame as the food was pretty good. Maybe it’s staff training. Maybe it’s just under resourced, but I left with a bitter taste in my mouth and given the number of places to eat in Rye (I live here and am not a tourist) I don’t think I’ll be going again.

Quirky place with great service and brilliant pizzas. I would recommend the vesuvio and 'Nduja, both really nice pizzas. We've eaten in and taken away and enjoy it every time.

Love it foods great but portion sizes are big I will go again

Good food, good service, my son enjoyed the margarita pizza, the penne with tomato sauce was a smaller portion than expected. The tortellini’s with mushrooms and tomato and cream sauce was a good portion size but lacked flavour.

Lovely restaurant, quick attentive service, great food, friendly Lovely atmosphere, be nice to have a bit of ambient music maybe. But enjoyable non the less.

This place is busy and you need to book because it is amazing! Recommended by our B&B and it didn’t disappoint. Staff were lovely, food was delicious and drinks were also great.

Really good vibe and really good food!!

Very well priced with mains from £10-£15 ish. Wine also very reasonably priced. They accommodated our group of 10 very well and service was great and attentive, particularly regarding quick water refills on a very hot day which was much appreciated. Food was all really good and generous portions.

The food, the feel, the friendliness of the staff… where do I start! Me and my friends had a brilliant time at Simply Italian. We felt so welcomed by the owner and his fantastic team; we were able to book a table a few hours before and we were glad that we did, because the restaurant was packed when we went. Nevertheless, the quality of the food and service was outstanding. The seafood was incredibly fresh, the meatballs were flavourful and the tiramisu hit all the right spots. We were very quickly served food and drinks and there was always staff on hand to take orders. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and managed to get three outstanding courses and drinks for £30 per person, leaving with full stomachs and huge smiles on our faces. If you’re in Rye and you don’t go to Simply Italian, you’re simply missing a trick.

Amazing food and service. Whenever we come to Camber Sands, we are stoping for dinner at this restaurant.

What a fabulous place! My first day in Rye, I got there just as they were closing (8 pm, they stay open later at weekends) but I was welcomed and given a table immediately. A great atmosphere, friendly staff and in a packed and busy restaurant, you are still given undivided attention. The food is great and in good portions. The atmosphere and decor of the restaurant, makes you feel like you are in Italy. I had such a great time that I went back for my last night in Rye too.

We went for a late lunch early in the week so it was not very atmospheric with few customers. That said it is still a cosy venue. The veal steak is an absolute must. The cod dish did nothing for me as the accompanying sauce simply did not blend.

Lovely homey restaurant with delicious food, very friendly owner with great attitude towards guests, eager to please! We'll be back!

Frendly service nice food Catered for 11 of us Plenty of tables inside and outside Catered for our vegan

Went here for lunch on my Birthday. Great restaurant, great food, great staff!! Can not fault it. We look forward to visiting next time we visit Rye.

I have been in Rye for just four nights, two of which were spent at 'Simply Italian'. On both occasions I found the service, staff, food and value to all be in the realm of Upper Excellent. I'm sorry that Simply Italian isn't close to where I live in London, because if it was, I would be eating there at least once a week.

Reasonably priced Italia cuisine restaurant. I ordered the Margherita and the garlic bread with mozzarella and onions with garlic butter. The pizza wasn't the best I've had but was good for the price. I highly recommend the garlic bread, especially with the mozzarella cheese, onion & garlic butter. It's just a pound difference from the normal one but is a complete banger deal. It was very scrumptious. They were warm hosts and service was good. There is seating outside as well as inside. I sat outside and the ambience was fantabulous as it was a sunny day.

Excellent Italian with generous portions in an old dock shed with a great atmosphere and polite welcoming staff will visit again 👌

Beautiful quirky place..Nice food and staff..

A very nice place to eat and very nice people serve you! Recommend!

Cracking family feel Italian restaurant. Quick friendly service and classic italian dishes with some good specials. Kids loved it too!

Lovely atmosphere, great service and amazing food. We visited with a large group for a birthday and we couldn't fault the entire experience

Amazing food. Service was great would highly recommend

Wow , this was an amazing experience! Where do I begin , all of the staff were extremely friendly and happy. Made us feel very welcome we came here on a day out and it’s our first visit. Food was absolutely delicious I wish I could do 10 stars! Quick Service and Food , and was presented Perfectly. I would recommend this to anyone. Also dog friendly!! Thank you :)) !!!

Nice old school Italian family restaurant. Friendly staff and good service. They can accommodate large groups for bdays or family dinners. There is also an outside area which is pet friendly.

The restaurant owner was extremely kind to offer a take away(last min order) with a desert (gift).

Popped in for an afternoon meal and was very pleased with the whole experience. The meals were of a good size and very tasty. The service was also very good, friendly and efficient. It was quite empty when we visited, but I imagine the atmosphere would be much better when the place has more customers. We would certainly visit again if we were visiting Rye in the future. Recommended!

This is an honest review of my experience tonight. We were a party of five. Starters wereca mixed bag. Dissapointed with bruschetta which was soggy and bread cold. I would have thought the bruschetta would have been a simple star in an Italian restaurant. Mains...seafood spaghetti and seafood risotto was tasty but the pasta pomodoro was pretty tasteless and lacked tomato depth. The chicken breast in mushroom sauce was tender, however again sauce lacked flavour. Tbe accompanying veg which was a small portion of peas and carrotts was underwhelming To be fair, manager took price of pasta off bill when I mentioned my disappointment. Staff were courteous and responsive. Service speedy and prices reasonable. All on all....easy forgettable dining experience and would not rush back....

We hadn’t booked in advance but staff were able to fit us in and find us a table even on a busy Saturday night. Service was good, food was great, it’s a lively and noisy restaurant with a great atmosphere.

Wonderful service and warm welcome by the owner and the staffs. Really nice atmosphere and good food. Highly recommend!

Booked for 2, was v busy, food amazing, staff amazing, restaurant ambiance amazing. Can not fault this restaurant. Authentic design also

Had a lovely evening in this restaurant. Food was excellent, staff were very helpful and polite. Would definitely recommend.

Nice italian atmosphere, very friendly staff. I didn't like the pizza as the base was unusually hard, not the italian pizza that I was expecting to have. Maybe we had just an unlucky evening. Next time, we will try other dishes on their menu.

We were visiting Rye for a week from Bristol to celebrate my partner's birthday. We've not been to the area before so it was a case of relying on Trip advisor/Google reviews for a place to eat on her birthday. Reviews are always subjective, but the majority for Simply Italian were excellent. Even those that weren't did not put me off, I liked the honesty of the owner's replies! I've known many Italian families and restaurants over the years and this was just as good. It was like being back in Italy with excellent food and a wonderful atmosphere. It's clear that locals love the place and come back for more. If we are ever back in Rye again we'll certainly eat there again. As others have said, make sure you book as you won't want to miss out on an authentic Italian experience.

Simply Italian is always a good bang for your buck. Fast service, great and tastey food and nice venue. Recommended

This is a real gem of a restaurant. The staff cannot do enough for you. The atmosphere is stunning and feel authentically Italian. The food is excellent value for money and just gorgeous. Every single staff member greeted us and thanked us upon entry and exit - things like this really make a restaurant. Gorgeous little place ✨

A family-friendly restaurant serving good wholesome food at a reasonable price.

Always the best when we visit here! Not local to Rye but it was my sisters sweet 16th and she begged to have her diner here, last time we visited was a lovely memory for us the staff were brilliant and so kind. This time was even better, always welcoming and the best home cooked italian food! Great atmosphere, will always be our favourite restaurant. Amazing decor too! La migliore scelta della canzone. Grazie a tutti

OMG 🔥🔥🔥 That’s the best Italian food in the whole UK ! All dishes was unbelievably delicious, staff so friendly, owner himself approach every table and asking about food ! That’s all gives you atmosphere like you are in Italian village visiting family restaurant! Highly recommend ❤️

Nice Italian. Lovely ambience. Had a caraf of wine as we were having more drinks later. Good service and value for money. I recommend.

Lovely meal, good service, nice place.

What a find! Delicious food, wonderful service and atmosphere. We would come every night if we could, thank you everyone ❤️x Highly recommended

Came for valentines eve. Food was nice and not bad prices then there are the drinks!!! £10 for a white wine a glass I might add is abit on the pricey side!! Told the waiter I had a nut allergy shame they thought my husband also had one when the desserts came over!! Then we get a complimentary chocolate lovely - Ferrero Roche full of nuts!!! It’s a shame been here many times over the years but won’t be returning in a hurry

Lovely, homely food that just makes you want more and to sit and chat to whoever your with or watch others do the same. Staff are always happy and kind and the bill always makes you feel you should have had more. Perfect after a long walk and recommend to anyone

We had a delicious lunch and were made to feel very welcome at Simply Italian. Pork and beef meatballs in a tomato sauce with pasta for me, two different types of pizza for other family members. Reasonable prices and we were all too full to be tempted by dessert - though they looked interesting on the table next to us!

Always good food and such a welcoming atmosphere. Staff (thank you Teresa) are so friendly and helpful. A great place to eat when in Rye.

The seafood risotto was good but the atmosphere a bit bland.

We were in Rye this weekend for my mother in laws 80th birthday, four of us and our rather large Husky/Malamute dog. I had googled to find dog friendly places to eat and found this place. I went on the reviews, which stated that the staff love dogs , so I hoped it would be a relaxing experience with good Italian food. This is exactly what it was. We all loved it, including Siah the dog, who was treated to two handfuls of ham by a very friendly staff member, who may be the owner, I wasn’t sure. All the staff were great, the food plentiful and delicious, so all in all a great experience. Thank you!

Thoroughly enjoyable experience. Would highly recommend this lovely Italian restaurant

Does what it says on the tin. Just really good classic Italian food. Very welcoming and efficient service. Thank you!!!

If I could give 6 stars I would. I have been going to simply Italian for over 10 years and have so many happy memories at this restaurant. From small family meals to big events this restaurant and there amazing staff and management have catered for us over so many times over the years and we have always come out feeling happy and satisfied with the delicious food and lovely service. I started going there when I was just 4 and I am now 19. I been there many times to celebrate birthday meals or Christmas get togethers. The food is always top quality the decor of the restaurant is beautiful and staff and so friendly. I cannot recommend this place enough especially for a great family meal. As a family we have so many happy memories in this restaurant thank you so much to the simply Italian team for making every visit so special.

Great place food and staff . Especially Maurice

Great relaxed place with amazing legitimate Italian food and best pizza in a 100-mile radius.